THIS smart Indian restaurant was a welcome find for my housemates and I as we got caught in summer rain while looking for somewhere to eat on a Monday evening.

Friendly staff at the Shima, in Leigh, showed us to a table, which was covered with a pristine white tablecloth, and we settled down for a curry feast.

We started with papadums and then moved on to lamb shish kebabs and paneer fry, fried squares of Indian cheese served with onions and peppers. This was a bit rubbery for me, but we polished most of it off.

We also shared a traditional chicken tandoori, which was cooked perfectly and very succulent.

While we chatted and waited for our mains, we watched clips from Bollywood movies, which were being shown on a discreet TV.

The volume was turned down low, so the entertainment didn’t intrude on the meal, but it was a nice touch seeing a taste of Indian glamour while tucking into their cuisine.

For mains, I opted for a chicken Madras. It was tasty and the chicken chunks were moist. Sadly it didn’t have the spicy kick I was looking for which would have transported me back to my days in India.

But my other eating partners fared better and were happy with their choices.

One housemate opted for a chicken biriyani, which was delicately flavoured and delicious, and came with a mildly-spiced vegetable curry on the side.

The other tried a lamb tikka masala, which she said was fruity and flavoursome, with big hunks of meat.

To go with our array of curries, we had the obligatory pilau rice, a peshwari naan, and a plain flatbread chapati. We also had a dry vegetable curry.

Overall, the food wasn’t mindblowing, either in flavour or spiciness, but it was tasty, well presented, and came in generous portions, and the staff were very courteous and helpful.

What we ate Papadum £1 Kebab £3.75 Paneer fry £4.25 Chicken Madras £5.45 Lamb tikka masala £7.95 Chicken biriyani £7.95 Half tandoori chicken £6.95 Vegetable curry £4.45 Rice £2.45 Nann £1.95 Chapati £1.95

Our verdict (Out of Five) Atmosphere 3 Food 3 Decor 4 Value 4 Service 4